John spent part of his childhood in Canada but later he returned to Britain and joined the RAF as an apprentice aged fifteen. When war broke out he volunteered as aircrew and was posted to Canada for training. He enjoyed this, partly because there was no food rationing. After finishing he was sent to Egypt to ferry aircraft, such as the Martin Marauder and the Bristol Beaufighter, to India. These trips took three to four days. After the start of the Airlift, in October 1948, he was sent to Germany as a relief crew and based in Lübeck. From here he flew Dakotas (C-47s) to Gatow in Berlin, often two or three round trips a day. The cargo was sometimes coal and one of the American air traffic people composed a ditty: “C-47 with a blackened soul, Bound for Lübeck with a load of coal.” Coming into land one night at Lübeck the weather was bad, with rain and dense fog. Under these conditions the radar did not work well. When he descended through the cloud cover, he realised that they were too low and the underside of the Dakota hit some trees and, despite trying to fly up and away the plane crashed. He dislocated his shoulder, and someone pulled him out of the burning aircraft. A mother and child onboard died, as did his co-pilot. He recuperated but it was two years before he could fly again and after a while he could only fly as second pilot.

Ronald Pickersgill came of age during the Second World War. Despite losing his brother he held no animosity towards the Germans, and in his interview he offers a vivid, often humorous picture of life in post-war Berlin. He recalls arriving at a time of runaway inflation — literally burning piles of Reichsmarks — and being confined to camp when the new Deutsche Mark was introduced, a move that helped trigger the Soviet blockade.

Trained first at a base radar station in Wunstorf, Ronald was then moved to the control tower at RAF Gatow, where he logged conversations with incoming and outgoing aircraft. He describes working from a tiny Ground Control Approach caravan, dramatic incidents including a crash with a cargo of coffee and a fatal accident on the runway, and the relentless rhythm of “three-shift” working.

Amid the rationing he remembers Berlin’s Vedin French Restaurant somehow still serving fine food, feeling sorry for the elderly women doing the hardest work, and counting the days to demob. After Berlin he was posted to Westerland to oversee Auxiliary Air Force rocket practice — and tells an unforgettable story about an amorous couple caught on the range.

Jean Cleminson shares her experiences as a wireless operator part of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) during World War 2. She details her experience in the Y Service, an essential part of British intelligence operations, from working in Dunstable to Bletchley Park. Jean recounts her time training in wireless operations in 1941 at the Post Office in Cardiff. After studying in Compton Bassett, Bedfordshire and Staffordshire, she was assigned a post at an ostensible meteorological station in Dunstable. At Dunstable, Jean carried out clandestine Y section work and intercepted reports from Germany. She was informed to never speak about the work undertaken to anyone, including her family. She reflects on the late-night watch hours and quiet atmosphere in the station, as well as maintaining a best friendship for life. Years later, Jean revisited the Dunstable station. Whilst difficult to find, she slowly came to the realisation it had turned into a cracker factory! Jean’s account serves as a testimony to the dedication and resilience of those in secret and often underrepresented war roles. The story highlights Jean’s incredible contribution to the war and the significance women played in the war effort.